Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a charging circuit for charging a rechargeable battery unit, with the rechargeable battery unit supplying an electrical appliance with voltage, and to a method for charging a rechargeable battery unit by an external charging voltage.
The present commercial requirements result in the manufacturers of electrical and electronic appliances having to produce ever smaller appliances. In this case, the progress in the miniturization of electronic assemblies allows the production of convenient appliances, which can be used in a mobile form. A pronounced trend in this direction can be observed in particular in the field of telecommunications. This relates primarily to appliances such as mobile telephones, cordless telephones, pagers, palmtops, etc. Since these appliances are not connected to any mains supply, they must be operated via rechargeable batteries. In this case, it must be possible to charge the rechargeable batteries in the appliance itself. For example, the rechargeable battery that is located in the portable handset of a cordless telephone must be capable of being recharged via the associated base station. It would not be acceptable for the rechargeable battery to have to be removed from the appliance in advance for charging.
This requirement results in that not only the rechargeable battery but also the appliance which is operated by the rechargeable battery remains in contact with a charging voltage via the charging circuit throughout the charging process, with the charging voltage generally being obtained from the mains voltage. There is a risk of an incorrect (excessively high) charging voltage being applied to the appliance. In some circumstances, the mains voltage may also be subject to considerable short-term fluctuations. The electrical appliance must therefore be protected against being destroyed by excessively high voltages, by over-voltage protection circuits.
Discrete components are generally used for this purpose. Zener diodes are frequently used in this case. These diodes are characterized by a precisely defined breakdown voltage, at which the reverse current rises steeply. If the applied voltage exceeds the breakdown voltage, then the impedance of the zener diode in consequence becomes low. The voltage that is applied to the zener diode is thus always limited to the breakdown voltage.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a circuit for charging rechargeable batteries that overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art devices of this general type, in which the complexity resulting from discrete components is reduced.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a charging circuit for charging a rechargeable battery unit with an external charging voltage, with the rechargeable battery unit supplying an electrical appliance with a voltage. The charging circuit contains a charging contact for connecting to the external charging voltage, and a charge regulator for controlling a current and/or a voltage profile of a charging process. The charge regulator has a control transistor through which a charging current flows, and a series transistor with a collector-emitter path connected to the control transistor and through the collector-emitter path a control current of the control transistor flows. The series transistor has a base connection electrically coupled to the charging contact. A monitoring unit is provided for comparing a signal representing a given voltage applied to the rechargeable battery unit, with a predetermined maximum value, and, if the predetermined maximum value is exceeded, the monitoring unit causes the charge regulator to switch off or reduce the given voltage applied to the rechargeable battery unit.
The present invention relates to a charging circuit for charging a rechargeable battery unit by an external charging voltage, with the rechargeable battery unit supplying an electrical appliance with voltage. The charging circuit has a charging regulator, which controls the current and/or voltage profile of the charging process. Furthermore, the charging circuit has a monitoring unit, which compares a signal, which represents the voltage that is applied to the rechargeable battery unit, with a predetermined maximum value and, if this maximum value is exceeded, causes the charging regulator to switch off or to reduce the voltage that is applied to the rechargeable battery unit.
Electrical appliances which are powered by a rechargeable battery unit have until now been equipped with a charging regulator for controlling the charging process, and with additional components in order to protect the rechargeable battery unit and the electrical appliance against over-voltages. With the present invention, the charging regulator carries out both functions, that is to say it controls the process of charging the rechargeable battery unit while at the same time being used for protection against over-voltages when the monitoring unit indicates to it that an excessive voltage has occurred. This makes it possible to save additional, discrete components, such as zener diodes, which were used for over-voltage protection. In consequence, owing to the saving of discrete components, the charging circuit according to the invention allows the electrical appliance to be produced at a lower cost and to be more compact. The rechargeable battery unit can remain in the electrical appliance during the charging process.
If the predetermined maximum voltage is exceeded, the voltage that is applied to the rechargeable battery unit can either be switched off or reduced. The simplest solution is to completely switch off the voltage that is applied to the rechargeable battery unit when a predetermined maximum value is exceeded. This embodiment can be implemented by a simple comparison circuit.
A solution in which the voltage is only limited and is not switched off completely has the advantage that the electrical appliance is still supplied with a voltage, despite the excess voltage. This may be a critical factor for many applications, for example in the case of appliances with volatile electronic memories. The data stored there would be lost if the supply voltage were switched off completely.
One preferred embodiment of the charging circuit according to the invention provides for the charging regulator to have a control transistor through which the charging current flows. In this embodiment, the control transistor is the central component for controlling the charging of the rechargeable battery unit. The desired charging current can be set by the control transistor.
According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the monitoring unit as well as parts of the charging regulator are implemented on a common silicon substrate, while the control transistor is in the form of a discrete component. All the control electronics for controlling the sequence of the charging process as well as the voltage monitoring for detection of over-voltages can be accommodated in an integrated circuit. The control transistor is a discrete component, in the form of the only power component. The control electronics are supplied with a signal that represents the voltage that is applied to the rechargeable battery unit. The control connection of the control transistor (the gate connection when using an FET, and the base connection when using a bipolar transistor) is connected to the integrated circuit in order to make it possible to use the control transistor to check the charging current by the integrated control electronics. One control transistor, which is connected to the integrated control electronics via two signal lines, is thus sufficient for providing combined charging regulation with over-voltage protection.
It is advantageous for the control transistor to be a field-effect transistor, via whose source-drain path the charging current flows. The charging current and/or the voltage that is applied to the rechargeable battery unit may in this case be adjusted via the gate potential of the control transistor. Thus, all that is necessary to vary the charging current is to change the charge on the gate electrode of the FET. Since no permanent control current flows, the use of an FET as a power transistor allows the charging current to be controlled with no losses and quickly.
As an alternative to this, the control transistor may be a bipolar transistor, via whose collector-emitter path the charging current flows. In this case, the voltage that is applied to the rechargeable battery unit can be adjusted via the base current of the control transistor. If a high base current flows, then the resistance between the collector and emitter of the control transistor is small, and a high charging current can thus flow. In contrast, if the base current is small, only a small charging current flows, as well. The charging process cannot only be switched on and off, but can also be controlled by varying the base current. This has the advantage that, for example, the magnitude of the charging current as well as its time profile can be matched to the state of charge, the capacity and to the type of rechargeable battery unit.
In a situation where the signal that represents the voltage that is applied to the rechargeable battery unit exceeds the predetermined maximum value, the base current of the control transistor is advantageously reduced. Reducing the base current not only reduces the charging current but also results in a higher voltage being dropped between the collector and the emitter of the control transistor. This measure provides effective protection for the rechargeable battery unit and for the assemblies disposed downstream against excessively high voltage values. The base current is reduced such that the voltage that is applied to the rechargeable battery unit is reduced to a level that can still be tolerated by the assemblies that are disposed downstream, and the voltage supplied to these assemblies is still maintained.
However, alternatively, it is also possible to switch the base current to the control transistor off completely in the event of an excess voltage, in order to completely decouple the externally applied charging voltage from the rechargeable battery unit and from the assemblies that are disposed downstream. In this case, the transistor is used just as a switch, which isolates the initially applied charging voltage from the appliance when a maximum voltage is exceeded.
The control transistor is always the major item in all the preferred embodiments of the invention described so far. It combines both of the requirements which are placed on the charging regulator in just one component: first, the charging process can be controlled by the control transistor while, second, the rechargeable battery unit and the assemblies which are disposed downstream can be effectively protected against over-voltages by the control transistor. No more components are therefore required, such as zener diodes, for over-voltage protection. A transistor is a comparatively small and low-cost electronic component, which can be configured for any power requirement and has a robust control response. The charging circuit according to the invention can thus be produced such that it is compact and has a low cost.
According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the charging regulator has a series transistor, via whose collector-emitter path the base current of the control transistor flows. This allows the base current of the control transistor to be controlled, and hence also the charging current for the rechargeable battery unit, via the base current of the series transistor. The charging voltage that is applied between VCHARGE+ and VCHARGExe2x88x92 is generally not the same as the supply voltage for the integrated circuit on which the charging regulator is located. The series transistor makes it possible to ensure that the base current for the control transistor can be reduced to zero despite the different voltage levels. To this extent, the series transistor decouples the two voltage levels.
One advantageous embodiment of the invention provides for the charging circuit to have a timer that controls the start and end of the charging process. This measure represents a simple option for limiting the charging time and for protecting the rechargeable batteries against being overcharged, in this way. This lengthens the life of the rechargeable batteries. The charging time is in this case matched to the type of the rechargeable batteries used.
The timer may also be configured such that it allows the rechargeable battery unit to be charged at regular intervals. This makes it possible to ensure that the electrical appliance is always ready for use. If necessary, the time interval between two successive charging processes must be shortened, if the heavy load is placed on the electrical appliance. According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the charging circuit controls the charging process as a function of the state of charge and/or of the charge capacity of the rechargeable battery unit. In order to make it possible to use the charging circuit according to the invention as universally as possible, the state of charge and the charge capacity of the rechargeable batteries being used are recorded, in order then to charge the rechargeable batteries in an appropriate manner. Recording the state of charge and the charge capacity on the one hand makes it possible to prevent overcharging of the rechargeable batteries. Furthermore, the profile of the charging process can be matched to the type of rechargeable battery. Some electronic appliances, in particular laptops and mobile telephones, can be delivered with different rechargeable battery units, which differ with regard to the quality, capacity, electrochemical composition, life and price. Recording the rechargeable battery type makes it possible to match the charging current, the charging time, the profile of the charging current and charging voltage, etc. to the type being used.
In order to discharge the rechargeable batteries being used as completely as possible before the charging process, a sequence of charging and discharge processes can be carried out. This lengthens the life of the rechargeable batteries.
In the case of rapid charging processes, the relatively large amount of charge that is transferred within a short time can result in a considerable amount of heat being produced. In order to avoid the production of this heat, it is advantageous to connect the external charging voltage to the accumulator unit using the pulsed mode. A high charging current flows at the start of the charging process, and the phases during which the charging current is switched on are therefore considerably shorter than the phases during which it is switched off and during which the rechargeable batteries are decoupled from the external charging voltage, for cooling purposes. As the charging process continues, the charging current decreases, and the phases in which the charging current is switched on and off can be made more similar to one another.
In order to avoid overheating of the rechargeable battery unit and of the appliance, it is also possible to record the temperature of the rechargeable battery unit during the charging process. In the event of overheating, the charging current could be reduced or the charging process interrupted.
It is advantageous for the monitoring unit to have an analog/digital converter, which digitizes the signal and represents the voltage that is applied to the rechargeable battery unit. The digitized signal can then in each case be compared with the predetermined maximum value, in order to identify over-voltages.
According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the charging circuit has a signal line for charging voltage identification, via which the electrical appliance can be supplied with voltage. This has the advantage that the voltage supply for the charge regulator and for the electrical appliance can be maintained when the rechargeable battery unit is removed or discharged.
In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the signal line for charging voltage identification is connected to the base connection of the series transistor. No charging current can flow through the control transistor unless the base-emitter voltage of the series transistor is greater than a specific value and a base current is flowing through the series transistor. The connection between the signal line for charging voltage identification and the base of the series transistor thus ensures that the charging current can flow only when a sufficiently high external charging voltage is applied. When no external charging voltage is applied, the series transistor is switched off. This prevents the rechargeable battery from being discharged via the externally accessible charging contacts (for example as a result of a short circuit or creepage currents).
It is advantageous for any over-voltages that occur on the signal line for charging voltage identification to be dissipated by a shunt regulator. The shunt regulator protects the signal line for charging voltage identification against over-voltages in that, above a predetermined voltage level, it dissipates a sufficient amount of current, for example to ground, so that the voltage on the signal line for charging voltage identification cannot rise any further.
According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is possible to use the signal line for charging voltage identification to measure whether an external charging voltage is applied. The control transistor for the charging current is switched on only when a sufficiently high external charging voltage is applied.
The signal line for charging voltage identification is advantageously decoupled from the rechargeable battery unit during the measurement process just described. This is because it is, in fact, possible for the rechargeable battery unit to produce a voltage on the signal line for charging voltage identification across the emitter-collector path through the control transistor, which voltage would then be incorrectly identified as an external charging voltage. In consequence, the decoupling ensures that only the external charging voltage is actually measured when measuring the voltage on the signal line for charging voltage identification.
The method according to the invention for charging a rechargeable battery unit by an external charging voltage, with the rechargeable battery unit supplying an electrical appliance with voltage, contains the following steps:
a) control of the current and/or voltage profile of the charging process by a charge regulator;
b) comparison of a signal, which represents the voltage which is applied to the rechargeable battery unit, with a predetermined maximum value; and
c) if the maximum value is exceeded, causing the charge regulator to switch off or reduce the voltage which is applied to the rechargeable battery unit.
In this method, the charge regulator carries out the function of controlling the charging process for the rechargeable battery unit, while on the other hand the rechargeable battery unit and the assemblies that are disposed downstream can be protected against over-voltages by the charging regulator.
Until now, separate components have been used for over-voltage protection. These can now be saved.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a circuit for charging rechargeable batteries, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.